


A New Start

by shopgirl152



Category: Peanuts
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, First Kiss, Flirting, Fluff, Friends to Dating, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Growing Up, Hurt/Comfort, Innocence, Making Peace with the Past, One Shot, Opening Up, Reconciliation, Reminiscing, Romance, Short & Sweet, Teenagers, Waiting for the Great Pumpkin, having hope, learning from past experiences, making amends, reaching maturity, reconnecting, values and beliefs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-06
Updated: 2016-05-06
Packaged: 2018-06-06 18:04:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6764431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shopgirl152/pseuds/shopgirl152
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Not really; you chasing me and pretending I'd asked you to a movie only made me want to avoid you more." She dipped her head. "Sally..." Linus lifted his hand from hers, cautiously tilting her chin up with a finger, turning her towards him. "It's okay. We were kids. We didn't know any better." He searched her face. "Maybe this is a new start for us."</p>
            </blockquote>





	A New Start

He stood in the pumpkin patch, looking around. Although he was sixteen, Linus couldn't help grinning; this year, he was certain the Great Pumpkin would come. He turned to the dog at his side. "I tell you Snoopy, this is the year. Tonight, we're finally going to see the Great Pumpkin rise out of the Pumpkin Patch. He has to come this year! I've been waiting for eleven years!"

Snoopy rolled his eyes. He yawned; he should be fighting the Red Baron, but he was just to tired. Besides, he had beaten the Red Baron about two years ago.

So instead, he climbed atop a nearby pumpkin, laid down on his back and promptly fell asleep.

Linus shook a fist at him. "You stupid beagle. You'e not that old; I saw you dancing on Schroeder's piano yesterday. Besides, I brought you out here to protect me!" Snoopy lazily opened an eye, seeming to give the teen a once over before closing it again. "Why you--"

"You know, year after year you come to this same pumpkin patch just so you can see that stupid Great Pumpkin. It's been eleven years and he's never shown. Why do you still do it?"

Linus whipped around at the voice behind him. "Now wait just a minute--" His jaw dropped. Standing in front of him was Charlie Brown's little sister. Though she didn't look so little anymore. She was now an inch or two taller than him and was wearing skin tight purple leggings and a light blue sweater. Her once wild hair now hung perfectly straight down her back, reaching her waist. She wore light blue eye shadow the same color as her sweater and light red lipstick. He swallowed the sudden lump in his throat, tryng to speak. "Gah..."

Sally smirked. "What's the matter Linus? Can't take the fact that I grew up?"

Gah..."

She coolly walked over to him, leaning against a pumpkin. "You didn't answer my question from earlier you know."

That sounded more like the Sally he knew. He blinked once, then smacked himself in the face. "Sally-wha-" The words still wouldn't come. He shook his head to clear it. "The reason I continue to come here year after year is because I believe in the Great Pumpkin."

"You're sixteen now Linus. The Great Pumpkin is for little kids."

"It is not! Innocence can be retained at any age!"

"Well look at you getting all worked up." She smirked, leaning in closer. "Have I ever told you how cute you are?"

"N-no."

"Well I'm telling you now." The smirk slowly turned to a wry smile. "My Sweet Babboo."

"I am _not_ your Sweet Babboo!" His face flushed at the automatic response. "Well, I mean, I wasn't your sweet babboo _then_ , but..." his eyes fell to Snoopy on the pumpkin. "Maybe I can be...now? I mean, uh..."

"Says the sixteen year old standing in the pumpkin patch. You know Linus, you really haven't changed that much." Sally stood up, taking in the teen's long scraggly hair, baggy jeans, tennis shoes and long sleeved red and black shirt. "The only thing that's missing is that blanket you used to carry around with you."

The blush worsened as he slowly pulled something from a jean pocket, avoiding her gaze. "I still have it. I know, I know, a sixteen year old shouldn't be walking around with a piece of his old baby blanket in his pocket, but..." he slowly turned his gaze to her. "You're not laughing."

"Why would I laugh?" Sally gave him a stern look, crossing her arms over her chest. "It's obviously still important to you. I don't really understand why. I didn't back then. But if it's important to you..." she uncrossed her arms and shrugged. "Well, maybe it's important to me too."

He shyly held it out to her. "Have you ever felt it?"

"No." The teenager reached out a hand, taking it from him. She frowned."It's worn. It's not even soft anymore."

"I don't need it to be soft; I just need to know it's there."

She handed it back, sitting down on a large pumpkin and looking up at the night sky. "Why do you still do this Linus? Why, after eleven years, do you still sit in this pumpkin patch?"

He sat down on the edge of the pumpkin next to her. "It's like my blanket. It's comforting to believe in something, to have faith in something. Others may not believe it. Others may think it's silly or ridiculous. But it's not to me. It gives me hope. My beliefs and values are always there. I can depend on them. Like I depend on the blanket. I don't need to see the Great Pumpkin; just knowing he exists is enough."

"But he doesn't exist."

"And that's what you believe." He shot her a pointed look. "And when we were kids, you never took the time to understand or share my beliefs. You were to busy making fun of me."

Sally glanced to the side. "I was a rotten kid."

"No you weren't." Linus gently placed his hand on top of hers. "You had a very strong belief in not going to school." She laughed and he smiled. "You've always been a forthright woman Sally. You're strong and aren't afraid to stand up for what you believe in either. I've never told you this, but I've always admired that about you."

"You could have told me that when we were kids."

"I didn't know that yet. Besides..." he chuckled softly. "You would have chased me around begging me to repeat it over and over." He lightly shoved her. "I didn't need the drama."

"I woud have done it anyway, you know."

"I know."

She squeezed his hand. "You should have taken me up on the forced offer to go to the movies with you."

"That was your idea."

"And it was brilliant."

"Not really; you chasing me and pretending I'd asked you to a movie only made me want to avoid you more." She dipped her head. "Sally..." Linus lifted his hand from hers, cautiously tilting her chin up with a finger, turning her towards him. "It's okay. We were kids. We didn't know any better." He searched her face. "Maybe this is a new start for us."

"You think so?"

"I know so." He drew her toward him. "Sally, if I may be so bold, can I..." his eyes closed as he slowly moved toward her. " _May_ I--"

"Just shut-up and kiss me."

* * *

_Hours later..._

Snoopy sat up and yawned, giving a long slow stretch as the sun crested the horizon. Another Halloween spent in the pumpkin patch, another night come and gone and another missed sighting of The Great Pumpkin.

He shrugged and slowly crawled off the pumpkin, wincing at the arthritis in his joints. Linus would be disappointed again this year. Nothing he could do about that. He scratched his chin and looked around for the teenager. Hopefully he hadn't gone...far?

The old dog stopped, an ear perking up at the sound of light snoring coming from his left. He slowly turned his head and stopped; there, curled up next to a rather large pumpkin, were Linus and Sally, wrapped up in each other's arms and sound asleep.

He quietly tiptoed over, sniffing. They had only recently fallen asleep. He took another step forward, his paws itching to grab the scrap of blanket he knew Linus kept in his pocket. One more inch... He sighed, dropping his head. He couldn't do it. Not now, when they both looked so peaceful and happy.

Instead, he gently shook the pair before dashing off. Linus had missed the Great Pumpkin again this year, but something told Snoopy that once the teenager woke up, he probably wouldn't mind.


End file.
